What's the best source for pantographs?
 

I"m new to LA ing and want to try pantographs. What's the best place to get them? I'm looking for something fairly simple to get started.
Any advice?
SVAL

I don't use them, but I remember a while back getting curious, and I googled for free ones. The advice given was to print off and tape copies together. This might be a start for you. I'm sorry I didn't save any links.

I buy most of my pantos from Urban Elementz. They have a very large selection and include a bunch of designers.

There are a lot of free pantos available online. Is your LA computerized? If so, google for "free digital quilting designs", and try working with them before buying any. Good luck, and there are plenty of smart and helpful people here, if you have any questions (I'm still fairly new to LAing).

I was also going to suggest Urban Elementz. Also, there is a new Facebook group called Connected Threadz that is administered by the owner of Urban Elementz. It is mainly for LA quilters (which I am not), and many of her designers are members.

thanks. I found one on there site for free to print. So I've been practicing with it. Wow. I thought it would be easy to follow the line. It isn't. I'm making a huge mess. Does it get easier with practice ?

I have purchased all my pantographs from The Pattern Man....his are so easy to follow and he has lots of choices. Here is his information:

Diff'rent Strokes Pattern Man
(505) 892-6106
www.patternman.com

Have fun!

I have bought mine mainly from Arizona Quilts and Urban Elementz. They have a lovely selection.

As far as practicing with pantos, work on charity quilts and yes, it does get easier.

I like willow leaf designs. http://www.willowleafstudio.com/ but really you can get pantos anywhere as the price per panto seems the same across the board. Just make sure you don't get one that is too large for your machine throat. Most of the sites that sell them indicate what size a row is and how many rows are on a sheet. with a 16" throat you are a bit limited for pantos.

It does get easier with practice. Very few new LA quilters hit the ground running on any aspect of LAQ. Just remember that the human eye is a remarkable bit of heavenly engineering. So if you stray off the line, don't try and go back and correct yourself, just keep on going and get back on the line as best you can as you travel. When you look at the quilting itself your eye wants to see the symmetry and unity of the design so it won't be noticeable to you or anyone else the places where you swung a little wide or strayed off as long as you don't make a jerky movement to get back on the line.

Personally, I worked from the machine from the front for the first couple of quilts before I attempted a panto. But some start off with pantos and then sadly never try working from the front of the machine.

Like anything practice does make you better. Not just longarming but drawing and doodling. Oh, one trick I was taught when I took my very first longarming lesson (so I could get certified to rent) was to trace the panto line with your finger at least once, preferably more than once, so you have an idea of the thread path and get a wee bit of muscle memory before doing it with the machine.

Yes it does get easier. However before you use your machine and actually sew.......... Trace with your index finger the design to get it into your brain.......amazingly I would do this every time before starting on a new quilt a s it reaffirmed the design to hand eye coordination and the machine.